March 22 [Day 21] (Joel Duncan, assisted by Caroline Lambert) 0930-1945. It was a pleasant day with a starting and finishing temperature of 5C and a high at 1600 and 1700 of 8C. Ground winds were SW 4-20 gusting up to 40 km/h and ridge winds were strong SW all day. Cloud cover was initially 100% stratocumulus and altostratus that produced very light rain but which then changed to gradually diminishing cumulus and altostratus cloud that was 30% at the end of observation. The east was clear all day, but the west was 20% obscured until 1100 and 80% obscured after 1845. The first Golden Eagle was not seen until 1122 but there was then a fairly steady flow of eagles with a total of 82 moving to 1933. The count was 3 adult Bald Eagles and 79 Golden Eagles (50a, 3sa, 3j, 23u). Most of the birds moved high above the Fisher Range to Mount Lorette but between 1200 and 1400 , when 31 birds were counted, and again late in the day they moved very high overhead above the centre of the valley to Mount Lorette. Other birds seen included a single flock of 15 Canada Geese flying north above the Fisher Range, one unidentified gull and a Pileated Woodpecker. The media coverage of the RMERF 25^th anniversary coverage continued to bring people to the site and today 26 visitors enjoyed the migration spectacle.

10.25 hours (219.2) BAEA 3 (103), GOEA 79 (1384) TOTAL 82 (1528)

Beaver Mines [Day 25] (Peter Sherrington, assisted by Hilary Atkinson) 0830-1830. The temperature at 0830 was 5C, rose to a high of 11C at 1300 and was 8C at the end of observation. Winds were strong W-WSW all day, 40-60 gusting to 80 km/h and cloud cover was 0-20% cumulus to 1800 when 50% cumulus and altocumulus developed. Movement was slow but steady to 1300, by which time 22 Golden Eagles had been counted, but it then became very slow and sporadic and the final count was only 27 birds: 1 adult Northern Goshawk, 1 light morph Rough-legged Hawk which was the last bird of the day at 1758, and 25 Golden Eagles (20a, 1j, 4u).

10 hours (201.8) NOGO 1 (33), RLHA 1 (41), GOEA 25 (762) TOTAL 27 (1029)

Steeples (Vance Mattson) No observation.

MOUNT LORETTE SUMMARY COUNT (March 1 to April 22)

DAYS 21

HOURS 219.2

TURKEY VULTURE (TUVU) 0

OSPREY (OSPR) 0

BALD EAGLE (BAEA) 103

NORTHERN HARRIER (NOHA) 0

SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (SSHA) 2

COOPER’S HAWK (COHA) 0

NORTHERN GOSHAWK (NOGO) 2

Accipiter sp. (UA) 0

BROAD-WINGED HAWK (BWHA) 0

SWAINSON’S HAWK (SWHA) 0

RED-TAILED HAWK (RTHA) 3

FERRUGINOUS HAWK (FEHA) 0

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (RLHA) 20

Buteo sp. (UB) 1

GOLDEN EAGLE (GOEA) 1384

Eagle sp. (UE) 9

AMERICAN KESTREL (AMKE) 0

MERLIN (MERL) 2

GYRFALCON (GYRF) 1

PEREGRINE FALCON (PEFA) 0

PRAIRIE FALCON (PRFA) 0

Falco sp. (UF) 1

Unidentified Raptor (UU) 0

TOTAL 1528

March 21 [Day 20] (Brian McBride, assisted by Fred Bowen) 0735-1935. The starting temperature was -5C and reached a high of 4C at 1400 where it stayed for the rest of the day. Ground winds were variable and light and briefly reached a maximum of 15 km/h at 1500, while ridge winds were moderate SW all day. Cloud cover was 90-100% stratus and cumulus all day that brought snow to 0900 and obscured the ridges to 1000, but also provided an excellent backdrop for locating birds. After the previous two-day movement of 685 Golden Eagles the observers were looking forward to another good day but were disappointed with a count of only 11 migrants between 1142 and 1732. The flight was 1 subadult Bald Eagle, 1 adult Northern Goshawk, 8 Golden Eagles (6a, 2u) and 1 adult female columbarius Merlin. All the Golden Eagles moved singly from the northern end of the Fisher Range to the north above the valley and none crossed to Mount Lorette. Other birds located were 1 drumming Ruffed Grouse, 1 Northern Pygmy-Owl that was seen carrying a mouse to a perch, and 1 male Common Redpoll, a rarity this winter, that fed on a gravel bar in the river. Five visitors came to the site today.

12 hours (208.9) BAEA 1 (100), NOGO 1 (2), GOEA 8 (1305), MERL 1 (2) TOTAL 11 (1446)

Beaver Mines [Day 24] (Peter Sherrington, assisted by Hilary Atkinson) 0900-1845. After early morning snow, the ridge was clear by 0900 when the temperature was -2C, and it rose to a high of 6C at 1600 where it stayed for the rest of the day. Winds were very variable and light all day, and cloud cover was 70-100% mainly stratocumulus and cumulus to 1400 with altocumulus and lenticular after 1400 indicating a strong W flow aloft. After 0900 all ridges were clear and observing conditions were excellent throughout. The light winds made for a slow day of migration with a total of 30 birds of 5 species moving between 1108 and 1724, comprising 2 adult Bald Eagles, 1u Cooper’s Hawk, 2 adult Northern Goshawks, 1 adult light morph Swainson’s Hawk and 24 Golden Eagles (22a, 2sa). Eighteen of the birds moved after 1600 including 12 between 1700 and 1724. The most surprising bird was the earliest ever and first March record of a Swainson’s Hawk that soared high with 2 Golden Eagles at 1700 for 4 minutes and allowed detailed inspection of all the salient field marks in excellent light. I tried hard to turn it into a more usual species but failed: it was indeed a light morph adult Swainson’s Hawk! Four Trumpeter and 1 Tundra Swan flew to the north in a small mixed flock at 1109, and at 1353 a flock of 50 Tundra Swans flew very high to the north. One or two Greater Sandhill Cranes were in the valley for much of the day.

9.75 hours (191.8) BAEA 2 (150), COHA 1 (2), NOGO 2 (32), SWHA 1 (1), GOEA 24 (737) TOTAL 30 (1002)

Steeples (Vance Mattson) No observation.

MOUNT LORETTE SUMMARY COUNT (March 1 to April 22)

DAYS 20

HOURS 208.9

TURKEY VULTURE (TUVU) 0

OSPREY (OSPR) 0

BALD EAGLE (BAEA) 10

NORTHERN HARRIER (NOHA) 0

SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (SSHA) 2

COOPER’S HAWK (COHA) 0

NORTHERN GOSHAWK (NOGO) 2

Accipiter sp. (UA) 0

BROAD-WINGED HAWK (BWHA) 0

SWAINSON’S HAWK (SWHA) 0

RED-TAILED HAWK (RTHA) 3

FERRUGINOUS HAWK (FEHA) 0

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (RLHA) 20

Buteo sp. (UB) 1

GOLDEN EAGLE (GOEA) 1305

Eagle sp. (UE) 9

AMERICAN KESTREL (AMKE) 0

MERLIN (MERL) 2

GYRFALCON (GYRF) 1

PEREGRINE FALCON (PEFA) 0

PRAIRIE FALCON (PRFA) 0

Falco sp. (UF) 1

Unidentified Raptor (UU) 0

TOTAL 1446

March 20 [Day 19] (Jim Davis, assisted by Chris Hunt and many others) 0800-2000. The temperature at 0800 was -13C, reached a high of 1C at 1500 and again at 1700 and was 0C at 2000 when observation ceased. It was calm or very light W winds to noon after which it was NE-ENE 5-11 gusting to 22 km/h for the rest of the day, while ridge winds were ENE all day, light to to 1500 and then moderate. It was essentially cloudless until 1500 after which up to 20% cumulus cloud developed, but aircraft con-trails greatly assisted in the location of the very high-flying eagles. Despite the persistent ENE winds there was another strong movement of Golden Eagles most of which were high over the western peaks. A total of 331 birds of 5 species migrated between 0955 and 1912 comprising 3 adult Bald Eagles, 1 adult Northern Goshawk, which was the first migrant of the year, 1 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk, 2 Rough-legged Hawks (1 light, 1 dark), 323 Golden Eagles (120a, 1sa, 12j, 190u) and 1 unidentified eagle. The birds flew higher and farther to the west as the day progress resulting in a high number of unidentified birds and a probable undercounting of subadult birds. Towards the end of the day 10 eagles flew high overhead to Mount Lorette and the last 20 birds of the day were located over Mount Lorette and probably originated from the northern end of the Fisher Range or from Wasootch Creek. Movement was sustained after 1100 with 230 of the birds moving after 1500. The busiest hour was 68 migrants between 1600 and 1700 and 64 were seen during the following hour. Two Trumpeter Swans flew low overhead in the company of 2 Canada Geese and other birds seen included 1 Northern Shrike, 2 American Robins and 51 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches. Grey Wolf scat was on the trail to the site. There were a total of 27 members, supporters and visitors at the site to celebrate the 25^th anniversary of finding the first 103 migrant Golden Eagles there on March 20, 1992, and the multiple eyes on the skies ensured that few if any of the very high flying eagles passed unnoticed. It was a very good day!

12 hours (196.9) BAEA 3 (99), NOGO 1 (1), RTHA 1 (3), RLHA 2 (20), GOEA 323 (1297), UE 1 (9), TOTAL 331 (1435)

Beaver Mines [Day 23] (Denise Cocciolone-Amatto, assisted by Pat Lucas, Nel Van Kamer and Merilyn Liddell) 0750-1730. The temperature at 0750 was -6C, rose to a high of 4C at 1400 and was 3C when observation stopped at 1730. Winds were variable but mainly E-ESE 15-25 gusting 35 km/h, and cloud cover was 0% at 0800 but 30-70% cirrus and stratus for the rest of the day. There was a disappointing movement of only 20 raptors of 4 species between 0934 and 1718 that comprised 2 juvenile Bald Eagles, 1 adult male Northern Harrier, 1 adult light morph calurus Red-tailed Hawk, 1 unidentified Buteo and 15 Golden Eagles (13a, 1sa, 1j). Birds moved slowly and all soared over the “Big Hill” before gliding to the NW. The highest hourly count was 4 birds between 1400 and1500. The highlight of the day, however, was a flock of 6 Greater Sandhill Cranes flying high to the NNW at 0958: the first for the year.

9.67 hours (182.3) BAEA 2 (148), NOHA 1 (2), RTHA 1 (11), UB 1 (3), GOEA 15 (713) TOTAL 20 (972)

Steeples (Vance Mattson) [Day 8] 1630-1730. Vance observed for 1 hour close to the Bill Nye site (snow-clogged roads still prevents access to the site itself), but saw no migrants. The temperature was 6C, it was calm with a 40% thin altostratus cloud cover that gave sunny conditions. The resident Golden Eagle pair soared extensively over the ridge and perched briefly at 1710 but were harassed by ravens that compelled them to take flight again. The last of the pair disappeared behind the ridge at 1730.

I hour (33.5) TOTAL 0 (361)

MOUNT LORETTE SUMMARY COUNT (March 1 to April 22)

DAYS 19

HOURS 196.9

TURKEY VULTURE (TUVU) 0

OSPREY (OSPR) 0

BALD EAGLE (BAEA) 99

NORTHERN HARRIER (NOHA) 0

SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (SSHA) 2

COOPER’S HAWK (COHA) 0

NORTHERN GOSHAWK (NOGO) 1

Accipiter sp. (UA) 0

BROAD-WINGED HAWK (BWHA) 0

SWAINSON’S HAWK (SWHA) 0

RED-TAILED HAWK (RTHA) 3

FERRUGINOUS HAWK (FEHA) 0

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (RLHA) 20

Buteo sp. (UB) 1

GOLDEN EAGLE (GOEA) 1297

Eagle sp. (UE) 9

AMERICAN KESTREL (AMKE) 0

MERLIN (MERL) 1

GYRFALCON (GYRF) 1

PEREGRINE FALCON (PEFA) 0

PRAIRIE FALCON (PRFA) 0

Falco sp. (UF) 1

Unidentified Raptor (UU) 0

TOTAL 1435

March 19 [Day 18] (Bill Wilson, assisted by Lori Anderson) 0655-2040. It was a cool day with a starting and finishing temperature of -2C and a high at 1500 and 1600 of 0C. Ground winds were SSW 3-10 gusting to 31 km/h while ridge winds were moderate to strong SW all day. Cloud cover was 70-100% stratus and cumulus all day apart from 0800 and 1900 when it was 50% and 2000 when it was 10%. The eastern ridges were clear all day while the west was 10-40% obscured apart from the first and last hours when they were clear. There was a spectacular and persistent movement of raptors with a season high total of 387 birds moving between 0822 and 1955. The count comprised a season high 23 Bald Eagles (14a, 2sa, 3j, 4u), 1 juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawk and a season high 363 Golden Eagles (229a, 31sa, 7j, 96u). Most of the birds moved high to very high from the Fisher Range to Mount Lorette and only about a dozen birds used the western route (Mount Allen) after 1700. The hourly Golden Eagle counts after 1300 were 31, 57, 63, 41, 35, 39 and 37 between 1900 and 1955. Other birds of note were a flock of 80 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches and the season’s first Western Meadowlark that spent much of the day feeding on a gravel bar in the river. A Red Fox passed close to the site late in the day, and there were also 21 human visitors to the site.

Tomorrow is the 25^th anniversary of Des Allen and Peter Sherrington’s sighting of 103 migrating Golden Eagles that flew from the Fisher Range to Mount Lorette, which proved to be the start of the present raptor migration study. Coffee and doughnuts will be available at the site and if today’s count is anything to go by a few Golden Eagles may be passing by as well.

Hours 13.75 (184.9) BAEA 23 (96), SSHA 1 (2), GOEA 363 (974) TOTAL 387 (1104)

Beaver Mines [Day 22] (Peter Sherrington, assisted by Denise Cocciolone-Amatto) 0800-1830. It was finally a pleasant day with a starting temperature of 1C that reached a high of 6C from 1300 to 1600 and it was still 5C at 1830. Winds were WSW-W all day 30-50 gusting to 67 km/h and cloud cover was 20-80% altostratus, cirrus and cumulus to 1300 after which it was up to 10% cumulus and often essentially cloudless. Raptor movement was strong and fairly persistent all day with a season high total of 186 migrants of 8 species moving between 0835 and 1814. The flight comprised 20 Bald Eagles (14a, 5sa, 1j), 1 juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1 adult Cooper’s Hawk, which was the first record of the season, a season high 10 Northern Goshawks (6a, 1j, 3u), a season high 4 calurus Red-tailed Hawks (3 light morphs: 2a, 1u; 1 adult dark morph), 3 Rough-legged Hawks (2 light, 1 dark), 1 unidentified dark morph Buteo, 145 Golden Eagles (129a, 1sa, 2j, 13u) and 1 adult male columbarius Merlin. The busiest hour was 1200-1300 with 34 migrants but the following hour was the most varied with 23 raptors of 7 species seen. The second busiest hour was 1700-1800 with 32 migrants that included a kettle of 3 Bald Eagles, 7 Golden Eagles and a Northern Goshawk that soared high over the “Big Hill” for about 4 minutes.

10.5 hours (172.6) BAEA 20 (146), SSHA 1 (4), COHA 1 (1), NOGO 10 (30), RTHA 4 (10), RLHA 3 (40), UB 1 (2), GOEA 145 (698), MERL 1 (11) TOTAL 186 (952)

Steeples (Vance Mattson) [Day 7] 1130-1930. It was a sunny day with a temperature high of 6C, mostly moderate to strong SW winds, 20-40% cumulus cloud cover and clear ridges. The excellent migration and observing conditions produced a movement that was generally higher and faster than usual and the second highest total of the season. The count of 104 eagles was 14 Bald Eagles (10a, 2sa, 2j), 89 Golden Eagles (82a, 2sa, 5j) and 1 unidentified eagle. Two birds moved before 1200, 19 in the next hour and only 11 between 1300 and 1500, but 72 migrated after 1500 with maximum movement of 23 birds between 1600 and 1700. The last 3 Golden Eagles were seen at 1907. Non migrants were 1 adult and 1 juvenile Bald Eagle, 1 adult and 1 juvenile Golden Eagle, and 1 Turkey Vulture that patrolled the Pickering Hills to the south.

8 hours (325) BAEA 14 (63), GOEA 89 (292), UE 1 (4) TOTAL 104 (361)

MOUNT LORETTE SUMMARY COUNT (March 1 to April 22)

DAYS 18

HOURS 184.9

TURKEY VULTURE (TUVU) 0

OSPREY (OSPR) 0

BALD EAGLE (BAEA) 96

NORTHERN HARRIER (NOHA) 0

SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (SSHA) 2

COOPER’S HAWK (COHA) 0

NORTHERN GOSHAWK (NOGO) 0

Accipiter sp. (UA) 0

BROAD-WINGED HAWK (BWHA) 0

SWAINSON’S HAWK (SWHA) 0

RED-TAILED HAWK (RTHA) 2

FERRUGINOUS HAWK (FEHA) 0

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (RLHA) 18

Buteo sp. (UB) 1

GOLDEN EAGLE (GOEA) 974

Eagle sp. (UE) 8

AMERICAN KESTREL (AMKE) 0

MERLIN (MERL) 1

GYRFALCON (GYRF) 1

PEREGRINE FALCON (PEFA) 0

PRAIRIE FALCON (PRFA) 0

Falco sp. (UF) 1

Unidentified Raptor (UU) 0

TOTAL 1104

March 18 [Day 17] (Jim Davis, assisted by Ruth Morrow) 0800-1600. Jim and Ruth arrived at 0800 when the temperature was -1C with steady freezing rain that had turned the parking area into an ice-rink which made even standing difficult. All the mountains were obscured (and remained so for the rest of the day) so they left immediately for the Lusk Creek site where they spent the rest of the day just east of the downslope storm. There the temperature reached a high of 7C at 1400 where it stayed until the end of observation. Winds at Lusk were generally light and cloud cover was 100% stratus with the exception of 1100-1200 when 10% of the sky cleared to the NW. Rain and low cloud persisted all day to the west but the Lusk Creek site remained dry and the highest foothills ridge was clear until 1515 when rain and fog finally moved in from the west and the count was abandoned at 1600. There was a fairly strong raptor movement of 64 birds between 0919 and 1414 comprising 7 Bald Eagles (4a, 1sa, 2j), 2 light morph Rough-legged Hawks, 54 Golden Eagles (35a, 2sa, 2j, 15u) and the season’s first Gyrfalcon, a white morph bird that was seen at 1158. Most of the birds moved close to the ridge-top beneath the cloud, and the highest hourly count was 36 birds recorded between 1100 and 1200. A Northern Pygmy-Owl called 5 times near the site but could not be located.

8 hours (171.2 BAEA 7 (73), RLHA 2 (18), GOEA 54 (611) GYRF 1 (1) TOTAL 64 (717)

Beaver Mines [Day 21] (Peter Sherrington) 0800-1730. The starting temperature was 6C, rose to a high of 10C at 1200 and 1300 and was 7C at the end of observation. Winds were WSW-W throughout, 40-50 gusting 65 km/h to 1600 after which they moderated slightly to 25-40 km/h, and cloud cover was 100% stratus and cumulus all day with the exception of 0900-0945 when it reduced to 70% producing the day’s only sunny period. Light rain started at 1000 and light to moderate rain then persisted for the rest of the day. The mountain ridges to the SW were obscured all day but the “Big Hill” remained clear until 1700. A total of 29 migrants moved between 1017 and 1556 comprising 1 adult Bald Eagle, 3 adult Northern Goshawks and 25 adult Golden Eagles. Fourteen of the birds were seen between 1100 and 1200 after which the movement became very sporadic. All the birds soared high over the hill in the rain before gliding to the NW, and the last 5 Golden Eagles were seen between 1536 and 1556 after which the rain became heavier and the count was stopped at 1730. The surprise bird of the day was a Wilson’s Snipe that was feeding by a small meltwater stream in the corner of my yard, which is the first March record for the area.

9.5 hours (162.1) BAEA 1 (126), NOGO 3 (20), GOEA 25 (553) TOTAL 29 (766)

Steeples (Vance Mattson) No observation. It rained all day and the ridges were all obscured.

MOUNT LORETTE SUMMARY COUNT (March 1 to April 22)

DAYS 17

HOURS 117.2

TURKEY VULTURE (TUVU) 0

OSPREY (OSPR) 0

BALD EAGLE (BAEA) 73

NORTHERN HARRIER (NOHA) 0

SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (SSHA) 1

COOPER’S HAWK (COHA) 0

NORTHERN GOSHAWK (NOGO) 0

Accipiter sp. (UA) 0

BROAD-WINGED HAWK (BWHA) 0

SWAINSON’S HAWK (SWHA) 0

RED-TAILED HAWK (RTHA) 2

FERRUGINOUS HAWK (FEHA) 0

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (RLHA) 18

Buteo sp. (UB) 1

GOLDEN EAGLE (GOEA) 611

Eagle sp. (UE) 8

AMERICAN KESTREL (AMKE) 0

MERLIN (MERL) 1

GYRFALCON (GYRF) 1

PEREGRINE FALCON (PEFA) 0

PRAIRIE FALCON (PRFA) 0

Falco sp. (UF) 1

Unidentified Raptor (UU) 0

TOTAL 717